Mama's history written by herself for Lena on Jan 21, 1916.

I came in the year 1868, when I was 9 years old, with my parents, grandmother, 2 brothers, and 2 sisters from Germany.

First we went to Illinois.  This was in May.  My youngest sister was born there on the 22th of July.
Because my parents were too poor to build up something in Illinois, we moved in March 1869 to Nebraska.  We had to go from Nebraska City in a wagon because the railroad from there to where we settled was not ready at this time.

Father settled where your Uncle Reinhard now lives. (After father had it, the land was in other hands, but Uncle Reinhard bought it back.)
There, on Christmas 1870, my youngest brother Willie was born.

My mother died of consumption there in the old dugout, after she had been ill more than 4 years, on the 26th of December.
At that time I was 16 years old. Now the hard times started for me. I had done the new sewing for the family for a lot of years, but in the past mother had been at my side even though she mostly did the patching. She was only confined to her bed for two days. Grandma was 70 years old then and did the most of the cooking and baking.

Later on father became more and more dissolute.  He was not able to have a good relationship with his boys and his old mother.  Also he started to run after women.

Because it was difficult for me to always do what was right and to
make good decision, and since my sister could do a lot of the work themselves anyway, I got married early-mostly just to get myself out of the situation.  We married on the 20th of November in 1878, but that whole winter I still sewed for home.

In March 1879 the Good Lord let sadness befall us again when within 4 days both my youngest sisters and my youngest brother died at the ages of 12, 10 and 8 years.  Brother Friedrich, sister Anna, and me ourselvess were sick for a long time of the same sickness. From one moment to the next our family became very little.

Father married again, sold the old home, and moved to Kansas.
My brother Reinhard married also a short time later. Now grandma, sister Anna, and brother Friedrich had no home and lived sometimes here with us and sometimes there.

My father did in his old age one foolish thing after the other. He did not realize that sin makes people corrupt. He was 75 years when he died. We always thought he was a poor man but he had some land and we 4 children each received $ 8500 *  after his death.

My mother was only 41 years old when she died. Grandma was 80 years when she died.  She often spent time with us, but she died in the old homestead at your Uncle Reinhard's.

Dear Lena, you see my youth really was not rosy, but later on it was nice. We had a lot of trouble and work but the Good Lord saw that we had good times, times before he let me taste sorrows and pain. Now I have my old age to look forward to.

But I believe, God, who has helped us so much in the past, will help us again in the future till the day when he will take away all sorrows and pain and lead us into heaven. All honour is given only to him.

Your mother.

*...amount is  not exact to read !